Belt loop feeding apparatus

ABSTRACT

A hopper is provided with an indexing side edge for controlling the movement of the longitudinal edge of the yet to be formed belt loop. A flat feed surface disposed in proximity to and cooperating with the indexing side edge enables one face of the loop to move toward the sewing station in a controlled manner. The device further employs a canted cantilever spring action on the opposite longitudinal edge of the belt loop, i.e. face-down and includes a top rake having a plurality spaced apart fingers substantially parallel with one another and parallel to the indexing side edge. The co-action of the fingers upon the loop causes the loop to lie flat on the feed surface of the hopper. The cantilever spring, in turn, is mounted on an attachable shoe which moves laterally of the feed surface to thusly be controlled and attached in accordance with the various widths of belt loop material.

United States Patent [191 Cummins Dec. 9, 1975 BELT LOOP FEEDING APPARATUS [75] Inventor: Donald Cummins, Hopewell, Va.

[73] Assignee: AMF Incorporated, White Plains,

[22] Filed: Oct. 24, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 517,714

[52] US. Cl 112/104; ll2/l2l.27 [51] Int. Cl? .l D05B 3/12 [58] Field of Search 112/104, 121.27, 203, 47,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,700,946 2/1955 Stanley et a1. ll2/l2l.27

3,487,798 l/l970 Marforio l12/l2l.27

3,726,242 4/1973 Eskin et a1. ll2/l2l.27

3,736,894 6/1973 McKeen 112/203 3,841,247 10/1974 Off et al ll2/l2l.27

Primary Examiner-Geo. V. Larkin Attorney, Agent, or FirmGeorge W. Price; Martin Smolowitz [57] ABSTRACT A hopper is provided with an indexing side edge for controlling the movement of the longitudinal edge of the yet to be formed belt loop. A flat feed surface disposed in proximity to and cooperating with the indexing side edge enables one face of the loop to move toward the sewing station in a controlled manner. The device further employs a canted cantilever spring action on the opposite longitudinal edge of the belt loop, i.e. face-down and includes a top rake having a plurality spaced apart fingers substantially parallel with one .another and parallel to the indexing side edge. The coaction of the fingers upon the loop causes the loop to lie flat on the feed surface of the hopper. The cantilever spring, in turn, is mounted on an attachable shoe which moves laterally of the feed surface to thusly be controlled and attached in accordance with the various widths of belt loop material.

8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 9 1975 3,924,549

BELT LOOP FEEDING APPARATUS The present invention is directed to a device employed in feeding and guiding belt loop material for positioning and affixing to trousers. More specifically, the present invention relates to an attachment for a sewing machine in which the loop feeding and guiding takes place to insure correct feeding and positive placement of the loop material to be sewn.

The prior art has considered the need for a means by which elongated pieces of fabric used for trouser loops are feed and ultimately stationed at the waist band of trousers. However, in many instances such devices are quite complex and leave something to be desired in making certain that the loop material is positively guided and correctly positioned on the waist band.

In accordance with the present invention, there is employed a belt loop feeding device being provided with a hopper for use with commercially available sewing machinery. By way of further explantion, the operator inserts a pre-cut belt loop in the hopper which is integrally formed of the device and a pneumatically operated piston is actuated causing the belt loop to be pushed and advanced to a sewing and positioning station at a select time in the belt loop attaching cycle. This operation is continued and is timed to enable an operator to perform the given feeding operation simultaneously with the advancement and sewing of previously fed loop material.

The principal features of the present invention are directed to a semi-automatic apparatus for receiving and guiding belt loops being fed thereto for ultimate positioning and placement at a sewing station forward to said device including: a principal body member having a flat bed feed surface on which one face of the loop is disposed; a side edge member attached to said body member for positioning one longitudinal edge of said belt loop; a canted cantilever spring attached to the top portion of said principal body member being adapted to act on.an opposite longitudinal edge of said belt loop; a rake assembly in the form of a plurality of spaced fingers substantially parallel with said side edge adapted to constrain the movement and disposition of said loop by forcing it to lie flat on the feed surface of said device; said cantilever spring being mounted on an adjustable shoe member allowing such member to move laterally of said feed surface for adjustment in accordance with a given width of belt loop; a pneumatic piston means having an elongated member with a pusher means at its working end enabling the loops to be fed along a pre-selected path in-line with said device by the action of the working end of said piston member; said working member being adapted to index an outboard end of said loop.beneath said rake to a predefined position at the sewing station forward of said device; and deflector means disposed at the outlet end of said device adapted to direct the dispensed loop in the same directional sense for each stroke of said pneumatic piston means.

Still another feature of the present invention is directed to control means provided for adjusting the advance of said loop pusher means via adjustment of said pneumatic piston means. Also the features include a fixed side edge member extending for the length of said principal body member and cooperating therewith, to define the maximum longitudinal perimeter of said device.

The principal object of the present invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device which is suitable for use with a sewing machine capable of positively guiding and positioning belt loops upon trouser waist bands.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive device which can be readily adjusted to accommodate different widths of belt loop material.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a semi-audomatic belt loop hopper device having a control device for adjusting the loop into position at the sewing station. Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood when studying the claims and specification, in light of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the present invention illustrating the pusher assembly in partial cross-section.

FIG. 2 is a profile view of FIG. 1. According to FIGS. 1 and 2, the hopper apparatus 1 is provided with an indexing side edge 2 for controlling the movement of the longitudinal edge of the yet to be formed belt loop L. A flat feed surface 3 is disposed in proximity to and cooperates with the indexing side edge 2 so as to enable the lower surface and one edge of the loop L to move toward the sewing station in a controlled manner. The apparatus 1 further employs a series of spaced apart, parallel canted cantilever springs 4 acting on the upper surface of the belt loop L, i.e. face-down and is formed to provide a rake 5 parallel to the indexing side edge 2. The co-action of the springs 4 upon the loop L causes the loop L to lie flat on the feed surface 3 of the apparatus. The indexing side edge 2 is mounted on an adjustable guide 6 which moves laterally of the feed surface 3 to thusly be controlled in accordance with the various widths of belt loop material.

In actual operation, the operator feeds successive lengths of movable material longitudinally through the apparatus such that the material passes beneath a rake support member 7 as it is being urged into the sewing station through the action of a pneumatically driven plunger 8. This in turn indexes the outboard end of the loop L to a predetermined position in the sewing machinery during each cycle of operation. Subsequently, the loop L is caused to come under the influence of a deflector 9 which is provided at the outlet of the apparatus to thereby direct the dispensed (outboard) ends of the loops L in the same directional sense for each cycle. By this arrangement repeatability of the sequence is insured while at the same time having a built in flexibility capable of handling diverse materials.

In accordance with the operation of the invention, the device serves to hold and feed pre-cut belt loop members in conjunction with the operation of a semiautomatic belt loop apparatus where such pre-cut belt loops are attached to trouser waist bands automatically. However, it is contemplated that the waist band and loop are to be inserted into the sewing machine as part of a manual operation. The inventive device provides a positive plunger type of operation with positive linear control as the loop L advances to the sewing station. The loop L to be worked upon is held on one side by guide 6 and side edge 2 which adjust to the dimensional changes of the loop L as the loop is advanced by plunger 8 which is activated through an air cylinder l0. Two sides of the apparatus 3, 11 provide position accuracy for sewing and are adjustable for such purposes. Unlike prior art devices, the invention contemplates positive loop positioning by careful control of the adjustment of the loop L for the action of a controlled motion cylinder, whereby the loop L is pushed into position enabling a second loop fold of constant length to be formed with the result that there is an allowance for greater variance in loop lengths sewn on the machine. Furthermore, by the present invention, control of the loop advancement in the manner suggested above consumes less air when compared to systems in which separate air cylinder or other suitable prime movers are employed for controlling the edge of the loop.

The arrangement employed in holding down the loop as part of the total apparatus, makes it possible to retain all loop types without independent adjustment on a case by case basis. For an example, the range of loops which may be worked upon with the present device can vary from sewn double knit loops which are bulky, soft and non-rigid to fused loops which are thin, uniform and more rigid when compared to the double knit loop. The inherent structure of the device is aimed at providing such control and guidance to maintain loop position with respect to a loop chute 12 and waist band so as to hold down the sewn loops without loss of positioning and control.

The device of the present invention employs the pneumatic actuated plunger 8 which is connected through a flexible cable 15 to an air cylinder 10. Air entering through the port 13 serves as the prime mover for driving the cable and attached plunger 8 along a course of travel. The stroke of the cable plunger arrangement is controlled by an adjustable screw 14. The various loops L are placed into the apparatus along a flat surface defined by entrance chute 12 which employs a laterally adjustable guide 6 which can be moved in accordance with the width of loop material being employed. The loop L, in turn, is caused to be pushed by the action of plunger 8 on the loop material to thus advance it through a plurality of spring 4 which are cantilevered and have an end position being canted at 16 to increase the pressure on the loop material as it is being fed. The number of springs 4 is sufficient in number to allow for various widths of loop material employed.

Though the present invention has been described with respect to a specific embodiment, it is to be understood that such terminology is not intended to be restricted or confining and that various modification of detail may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed:

1. A semi-automatic apparatus for receiving and guiding belt loops being fed thereto for ultimate positioning and placement at a sewing station forward of said apparatus including: a principal body member having a flat bed feed surface on which one face of the loop is disposed; a side edge member attached to said body member for positioning one longitudinal edge of said belt loop; a canted cantilever spring attached to the top portion of said principal body member being adapted to act on an opposite longitudinal edge of said belt loop; a rake assembly in the form of a plurality of spaced apart fingers substantially parallel with said side edge adapted to constrain the movement and disposition of said loop by forcing it to lie flat on the feed surface of said apparatus; said cantilever spring being mounted on an adjustable shoe member allowing such member to move laterally of said feed surface for adjustment in accordance with a given width of belt loop; a pneumatic piston means having an elongated member with a plunger means at its working end enabling the loops to be fed along a pre-selected path in-line with said apparatus by the action of the working end of said piston member; said working member being adapted to index an outboard end of said loop beneath said plurality of spaced fingers to a predefined position at the sewing station forward of said apparatus; and deflector means disposed at the outlet end. of said apparatus adapted to direct the dispensed loop in the same directional sense for each stroke of said pneumatic piston means.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: adjusting means are provided to define a distance sufficient to permit said loop to move along said flat bed feed surface, said adjusting means including a slotted link arrangement for positioning said adjusting means.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: control means are provided for adjusting the advance of said loop plunger means via adjustment of said pneumatic piston means.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said apparatus includes a fixed side edge member extending for the length of said principal body member and cooperating therewith, to define the maximum longitudinal travel of said apparatus.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including: a loop side thrust member extending for the length of said loop being adapted to impart a positioning force sufficient to control the position and orientation of said loop in its forward travel.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in combination with a sewing machine.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said plurality of spaced apart fingers defines the maximum width of loop material to be employed by said apparatus.

'8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: deflector means are provided at the outlet end of said apparatus being adapted to direct the loop exiting from said device in the same directional sense for each stroke of said pneumatic piston means. 

1. A semi-automatic apparatus for receiving and guiding belt loops being fed thereto for ultimate positioning and placement at a sewing station forward of said apparatus including: a principal body member having a flat bed feed surface on which one face of the loop is disposed; a side edge member attached to said body member for positioning one longitudinal edge of said belt loop; a canted cantilever spring attached to the top portion of said principal body member being adapted to act on an opposite longitudinal edge of said belt loop; a rake assembly in the form of a plurality of spaced apart fingers substantially parallel with said side edge adapted to constrain the movement and disposition of said loop by forcing it to lie flat on the feed surface of said apparatus; said cantilever spring being mounted on an adjustable shoe member allowing such member to move laterally of said feed surface for adjustment in accordance with a given width of belt loop; a pneumatic piston means having an elongated member with a plunger means at its working end enabling the loops to be fed along a pre-selected path in-line with said apparatus by the action of the working end of said piston member; said working member being adapted to index an outboard end of said loop beneath said plurality of spaced fingers to a predefined position at the sewing station forward of said apparatus; and deflector means disposed at the outlet end of said apparatus adapted to direct the dispensed loop in the same directional sense for each stroke of said pneumatic piston means.
 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: adjusting means are provided to define a distance sufficient to permit said loop to move along said flat bed feed surface, said adjusting means including a slotted link arrangement for positioning said adjusting means.
 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: control means are provided for adjusting the advance of said loop plunger means via adjustment of said pneumatic piston means.
 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said apparatus includes a fixed side edge member extending for the length of said principal body member and cooperating therewith, to define the maximum longitudinal travel of said apparatus.
 5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including: a loop side thrust member extending for the length of said loop being adapted to impart a positioning force sufficient to control the position and orientation of said loop in its forward travel.
 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in combination with a sewing machine.
 7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said plurality of spaced apart fingers defines the maximum width of loop material to be employed by said apparatus.
 8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein: deflector means are provided at the outlet end of said apparatus being adapted to direct the loop exiting from said device in the same directional sense for each stroke of said pneumatic piston means. 